Russia said it would oppose placing Ukrainian NATO forces on the ground, even if they were operating under a different flag.
Russia has repeatedly objected to the potential deployment of European peacekeeping forces into Ukraine as part of an agreement to halt the war after President Donald Trump argued that Moscow was open to such a move. I did.
Trump said Monday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin both embraced the idea of Ukraine’s European peacekeeping forces.
“Yeah, he’ll accept that,” Trump said. “I asked him specifically about that question, and he’s fine with that.”
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday about his statement on Trump’s issue, Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov, who declined to publicly contradict the US president, effectively reaffirmed his opposition to the Russian idea.
“I have a position on this issue expressed by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. I have nothing to add to this, and I have no comment. I will leave this without comment,” he said. Ta.
Russia has repeatedly said it is against the presence of Ukrainian NATO forces on the ground, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said last week that Moscow would view it as a “direct threat” to Russian sovereignty.
White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes did not respond directly to the Kremlin’s latest comments, but said the Trump administration will work with Moscow and Kiev to end the war.
“President Trump’s commitment to end this brutal, bloody war and establishing a framework for lasting peace will not be negotiated through the media,” Hughes said.
“The Trump administration knows that we need to do more to Europe to maintain peace. [French] president [Emmanuel] Macron and the British Prime Minister [Keir] Priorities like others offer to do exactly that. We continue to work together with Russia and Ukraine for peace, as we cannot end the war without talking to both sides. ”
EU leaders holding consultations
Leaders of 27 EU countries will report on the meeting between Washington’s Macron and Trump, focusing on Ukraine, on a video conference on Wednesday.
During discussions at the White House, Macron argued the need to provide a “security guarantee” to prevent Russia from attacking again in the future.
“We want a quick deal, but not a fragile agreement,” the French president argued, saying peace cannot “mean Ukraine’s surrender.”
Council of Europe President Antonio Costa announced that the video conference will focus on discussing the “extraordinary” European summit in Brussels on March 6th.
With Trump’s push to launch negotiations between senior US diplomats and Russian diplomats without the participation of Ukrainian or European leaders, Europe has questioned Washington’s commitment to security.
The war in Ukraine could end “within a few weeks,” Trump assured Monday, saying Ukrainian President Voldy Meezelensky could go to Washington “this week or next week.”
“We need a ceasefire first, and I think we can conclude in the next few weeks,” Macron added.
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